Dear Editor,
I was compelled to respond to Mike Dano’s article, “Worst of the Week: Push-To-Silence-PTT,” on RCRNews.com July 27, in which he writes “the thing about walkie-talkie cell phones: THEY ARE UNNECESSARY. And, more importantly, annoying.” His conclusions certainly don’t match the reality that millions of users rely on walkie-talkie. This technology has offered critical support to public-safety agencies at the federal, state and local levels, ultimately saving lives and assisting in rescue efforts during some of our nation’s most critical emergencies.
As Sprint Nextel is the undisputed leader in this technology, I feel the need to share the well-documented importance of this technology for consumer and business customers.
Take for example:
- During the 9/11 terrorists attacks, Sprint Nextel walkie-talkie services were used by hundreds of first responders, as well as Mayor Giuliani, to coordinate personnel and resources in both New York and Washington, D.C. The iDEN network was one of the few that remained wholly operational during our nation’s worst terrorist attack. The walkie-talkie phone used by Mayor Giuliani that day is now in the Smithsonian.
- During Hurricane Katrina, Sprint Nextel deployed 7,600 walkie-talkie phones to support more than 75 federal, state and local agencies in Louisiana and Mississippi. In some cases this was the only operational technology for responding agencies. New Orleans city officials told the Wall Street Journal that Sprint Nextel was “the cavalry,” providing the first reliable communications link to the outside world in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
- Our walkie-talkies supported hundreds of government agencies during national disasters dating back to the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, as well as in support of 23 Presidential Declared Disasters since 2002.
As it relates to Mike’s concerns that walkie-talkie phones are annoying, we’re doing our part to educate customers regarding wireless etiquette. All Nextel walkie-talkie phones have a dedicated speaker-to-earpiece button that allows the user to switch their conversations to a privacy mode to minimize disruptions and to increase privacy during conversations. In addition, Sprint Nextel has launched several programs to create awareness of wireless phone etiquette. In July, Sprint released a wireless etiquette podcast; sponsored cell-phone booths in select restaurants that offer customers privacy and reduced risk of disturbing others; and, created a courtesy etiquette quiz available for customers to test their etiquette acumen.
Walkie-talkie services provide critical and instant communications for everyone, from the cop on the street to the parent trying to locate their child in the mall. While I empathize with the need for us all to practice better etiquette when using our wireless phones, Sprint Nextel takes pride in the fact that our technology plays an extraordinary role in the lives of Americans every day.
Leon Frazier
Vice President, Public Sector
Sprint Nextel Corp.
